Last Chance, Last Dance
by GaleSynch
Summary: AU: A child of Poseidon. A child of Hades. And some meddling from the goddess of love was all it required to give the couple a last chance, last dance. Nico/Percy - slight boy/boy.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I'd have you all know that this isn't going to be slash aka boy/boy. Just for the first two chapters – which will also be one-sided love on Nico's part anyway. A quick look into history; for more information, go to my website. And I know Percy isn't a son of Zeus, just... read and you'll understand.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Last Chance, Last Dance**

**Chapter One: First Life.**

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They knew every inch of each other's bodies. They knew each other's bodies as well as they knew their own.

Each knew the other's skin, his eyes, his hair. Each knew the other's voice, what he sounded like when he murmured, what he sounded like when he screamed himself hoarse.

Each knew the other's sensitive spots. Each knew how to make the other sweat, how to make the other pant, how to make the other moan.

Each knew—as no one else in the world could know—how the other one moved. Each knew how the other's muscles flexed, slackened, tensed. Each knew the other at his very best, breathing hard, limbs trembling, every muscle moving and pulling, that unending and exhausting and intoxicating rhythm.

They knew how to respond to each other, how to move as one, how to compliment each other exactly. Perfectly.

They knew each other thoroughly, consummately, and intimately.

On the battlefield.

And only on the battlefield.

This is a discussion of their combat tactics.

Obviously.

It didn't mean anything else. One must know one's enemy; the better one knows one's enemy, the better one may fight him. If they hadn't known each other so well, neither could have survived so many battle with each other. It was a matter of survival. It was a matter of necessity, of life and death. In order to protect themselves and their clans, they had needed to have that knowledge of each other.

So was it really so strange—

Oh, please, please, don't think of that, don't think about...

... Was it really so strange, even now, even when they were allies, even when they hadn't fought each other in so, so long...

Was it really so strange for Nicodemus to still have that same obsession? Was it really so strange for that too, too intimate knowledge to rise up in his mind, with such alarming frequency, whenever the co-founder of his Camp was around, and whenever he wasn't around?

It was a dilemma that Nicodemus couldn't rid himself off. He knew he wasn't girls at a very young age, seeing them as unattractive even the most pretty ones like the daughters of Aphrodite he'd come across on the streets—and only friend material.

But at one time, the son of Hades found his heart beating fast when a dark-haired and green-eyed boy, from across the street, smirked at him. When he posted to his mother, she'd smiled painfully at him and told him that it was just a phase.

As years passed, Nicodemus found that it wasn't just a phase. And he knew he wasn't... straight and was gay. Naturally, he hid it well from his siblings and friends.

He never had a relationship, however.

He never had the chance, not when he was involved in war against his cousins fathered by Zeus and Poseidon. Nicodemus rose in rank pretty quickly, no one can match his strength in battle except for one: Perseus, son of Zeus.

Every battle, the son of Hades'd find the son of Zeus in his way. His heart always quicken in the younger boy's presence; his mismatched eyes, one the blue of the sea while the other the blue of the light sky, his tanned skin and that infuriating smirk.

Nicodemus loved everything about the boy.

So was it so much of a surprise when he couldn't take anymore deaths, carnage and war, he'd propose an alliance with Perseus, the leader of the enemy, to stop the hate and death between them? Surprisingly enough, the son of Zeus had agreed.

(But Nicodemus later learned that Perseus'd been forced into agreeing by his siblings and allies; a fact that Nicodemus ignored because he just couldn't accept that Perseus was reluctant to do something for him.)

It was obsessive but Nicodemus couldn't stop himself from seeking out Perseus' company. Something the latter unwillingly gave.

When the subject of a safe haven was brought up, Nicodemus instantly proposed that they should make a Camp just fro half-bloods like them. Perseus named the Camp and Nicodemus agreed without a second thought; everything the son of Zeus does is always right.

The gods approved of this decision and handed them some materials to build. Things were already moving by then, the children of Athena and Hephaestus were designing blueprints while the others were tasked with gathering materials, building, painting and furnishing everything.

Nicodemus had to admit he and his siblings cheated by summoning skeletons to do their work. Everyone noticed this of course and no one but Perseus dared to say anything about it. And what he said sparked something that would make Hades and his children forever hate Zeus and his children:

"Hades isn't even an Olympian," the son of Zeus sneered cruelly. "Why should his children have a cabin?"

To the children of Hades' horror, murmurs and mutters of agreement broke out. Demands for the half-way built Hades cabin to be torn down.

It was, by Nicodemus' orders. He didn't want any arguments between them, not another war.

(He silently ignore the fact that he passed that order was because he wanted to please Perseus and not stop another war between the children of the Big Three.)

Perseus had his way, he smirked, ignoring the glares of death the children of Hades shot him. They were probably angered that they were used as slaves to built the other Olympians' cabins while they couldn't even have a place on their own.

The Hermes Cabin was the first to rise. Hermes agreed to be the patron to travelers and as such, provided a place to stay for the unclaimed and for children of minor deities which have no cabin on their own. Perseus made a statement as to how Hades was one of the minor gods and Nicodemus, being the only listener, chose to ignore him and make small talk instead.

When the Big House was built, the children of Hades moved there, each having a room of their own—"It was only fair seeing as we don't have a cabin in honor of our father, and thus, have nowhere to stay; the Hermes Cabin is as cramped as it is," Jen, one of Nicodemus' sister had sneered.—which made the other half-bloods envy of them.

"We did it," Perseus murmured in awe, a smile so small that only those that knew him well could've noticed it. Nicodemus lived to see that smile; he noticed it and smiled back.

"Yeah," the son of Hades agreed, looking with appreciation at the view before him.

"Who should be the leader of the Camp though?" someone piped up from behind the two founders.

Perseus' smile dropped as he thought about it.

"It'll be me, of course," he muttered, daring anyone to challenge him.

The children of Poseidon had the same rank as him, but they were mostly passive and neither of them had any interest in leading the Camp. The children of Hades, however...

"Why you?" Jen posed the question, sneering. "You're impulsive and too arrogant for your own good. Stubborn and unable to accept help from others even when you know you couldn't do it yourself. I say Nicodemus makes a better leader than you."

Perseus glared at the daughter of Hades but he could already see the tide turning on him. He turned to his siblings and the Poseidon Cabin for support. The latter ignored him, while some of his siblings murmured in agreement. A look of betrayal etched on his face when the decision was made and that Nicodemus would be chosen as their leader.

He turned on Nicodemus with hate. "I hate you," he spat, venom dripping from his words.

Those hurts stabbed Nicodemus like a sword. He loved the boy and yet he claimed he hated him? Why when he'd done nothing wrong? He hadn't even suggested himself to be the leader; he was ready to let Perseus take the spot.

The son of Hades decided to let the son of Zeus cool off first before searching for him. In the mean time, he was considering on who should he choose as the trainer to young demigods sent to Camp to survive. As he was thinking about it, his eyes landed on Olympus Daily, the headlines about some bastard child of Kronos and what should they do with him.

Nicodemus' eyes glinted with glee: he found the perfect person.

**NxP**

Chiron agreed instantly, having something for teaching. And when Nicodemus saw how he looked at the children, how he trained them with great amount of dedication, he knew he'd chosen the right person.

Perseus, on the other hands, was not happy with Nico's choice. When he saw Chiron, he sneered and muttered something about "traitor" and "bastard son of Kronos" and "son of a whore; who'd hook up with someone like Kronos?"

To Chiron's credit, the centaur didn't explode in anger in the son of Zeus' face.

Perseus continued to cause troubles. The sitting arrangements in Camp was not satisfying in his opinion. He set a law; every demigod has to sit at their own cabin table. Grumbles, frowns and glares were directed Perseus' way but the boy ignored it.

Day after day, Perseus got more crankier. And Nicodemus fell in love with Perseus more and more but he'd never act out on it, knowing that Perseus had no interest in men.

For some unknown reason, on one winter December, Perseus announced that he'd be going on a quest. Nicodemus allowed him to go, watching the son of Zeus' back disappear into the Big House, heading for the attic where their Oracle—a gift from Apollo himself—would give him a prophecy on his quest.

He left with only one companion, Atalanta, a daughter of Athena; an order from the Oracle, he says and everyone believed him.

Nicodemus usually believed what Perseus said. But this time, he sensed something else in Perseus' tone that unnerved him. Days passed till it reached a full month where the rumors of the son of Zeus and the daughter of Athena having died in his quest reached his ears. He found himself inclined to disagree.

He left, leaving Chiron in charge, to search for the boy he loved.

It was on his third day, when he was following Perseus' trail that he felt the familiar buzzing in his ears: a sign that someone had died. He was annoyed but he was curious as well, he followed wherever the sound grew so loud that he though it might make him go deaf.

He came to a stop at the waterfall; he stared blankly at the floating dead body. He knew the girl: heck, it was Atalanta whom had gone with Perseus on the quest. His gaze rose till it landed on the boy he had been searching for—the boy he hadn't seen in months and it was killing him, suffocating him with yearning; did Perseus realize what he was doing to him?

"What happened?" he asked innocently.

"She's dead isn't she?" Perseus asked instead, a tone as innocent as his. "I know her death will lead you to me; she'd that precious to you isn't she?"

"Yes..." Nicodemus answered softly, biting back the "_but you're so much more important to me than her; I love you_" and replacing it with: "Did you kill her?"

"I held her head in water when she got too prying of my business."

Nicodemus was unfazed by Perseus' answer; he'd seen more than one death of his precious people. "What business?"

"She's merely a cover," Perseus smirked. "I used her to leave Camp so that it wouldn't be suspicious that I'd defect—"

"_What_?" Nicodemus couldn't believe his ears; the buzz that warned of death has subsided once he'd seen to it so he was sure he didn't have any hearing problems. "Please, you couldn't be serious—" _Please, you couldn't be leaving me_. _I love you even though you obviously don't love me._

"I am."

Perseus leveled his sword and charged. Instinctively, Nicodemus raised his sword to meet the blow. "And you're in my way," Perseus murmured; his breath brushing Nicodemus' lips because of their close proximity. And had Nicodemus the courage, he'd closed the distance between their lips to show how much the son of Zeus meant to him.

Without knowing it, Nicodemus found himself falling back into their familiar dance; lashing back as Perseus pressed him. Their battle lasted for what seemed like days; the damage done to the area was so great that monsters avoided it while demigods sought to investigate it, to search for their lost founders, without trying to get themselves killed.

The son of the lightning god's biggest mistake in their battle gave victory to the son of Hades: Perseus lost his footing when his foot met slippery rocks—a river that'd came from the deep Mother Earth—and slipped, unable to shield his body from the Stygian Iron Sword that sucked his life force.

Nicodemus was in shock after that. He was in shock as the river currents swept Perseus body away from him. He was in shock that he didn't even notice the buzzing in his ears as his friends from Camp swarmed him. He was in shock until Eve, a daughter of Demeter, slapped him.

Looking back on it, Nicodemus would say that this was the moment he actually saw any interest in girls. He liked her; not the way he loved Perseus. And everyone expected him to start a family soon when he hit the age of twenty—life for demigods were short so it wasn't much of a surprise when they married in their teens.

He pestered Eve until she agreed to marry him. At their wedding, Nicodemus swore he saw Perseus weaving through the crowd, making his way out after a smirk his way. He grasped for Eve's hand, for reassurance and to remind himself that he was merely seeing a ghost. His hand in hers pleased the daughter of Demeter and the son of Hades felt guilty for making her assume he loved her the same he loved Perseus

No, she was wrong. No one can compare to Perseus.

**NxP**

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months which turned into years. His children grew and grew. His grandchildren grew and grew. The latter was something which he sadly wouldn't be able to witness.

His only thought as he gazed at the eyes which carried the seas and skies boring down at him as the Celestial Bronze Dagger lodged deeply into his eye socket was:

_I love you_. And _I'm sorry, I hope we'll meet again in our next life_.

That was his first life.

**NxP**

* * *

**A/N: **So... anyone notice anything about Nico's killer?

Review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Last Chance, Last Dance**

**Chapter Two: Second Life.**

* * *

They knew every inch of each other's bodies. They knew each other's bodies as well as they knew their own.

Each knew the other's skin, his eyes, his hair. Each knew the other's voice, what he sounded like when he murmured, what he sounded like when he screamed himself hoarse.

Each knew the other's sensitive spots. Each knew how to make the other sweat, how to make the other pant, how to make the other moan.

Each knew—as no one else in the world could know—how the other one moved. Each knew how the other's muscles flexed, slackened, tensed. Each knew the other at his very best, breathing hard, limbs trembling, every muscle moving and pulling, that unending and exhausting and intoxicating rhythm.

They knew how to respond to each other, how to move as one, how to compliment each other exactly. Perfectly.

They knew each other thoroughly, consummately, and intimately.

On the battlefield.

And only on the battlefield.

This is a discussion of their combat tactics.

Obviously.

It didn't mean anything else. One must know one's enemy; the better one knows one's enemy, the better one may fight him. If they hadn't known each other so well, neither could have survived so many battle with each other. It was a matter of survival. It was a matter of necessity, of life and death. In order to protect themselves and their clans, they had needed to have that knowledge of each other.

So was it really so strange—

Oh, please, please, don't think of that, don't think about...

... Was it really so strange, even now, even when they didn't know each other, never had met in this life... was it so strange for Persius to keep dreaming of the same boy...?

**XXXXX**

**The Year He Met Him Again**

**XXXXX**

"Who are you?"

Persius's head shot up before turning behind him to see who had spoken to him. The son of Pluto raised his pale and frail hand—that easily belied his strength which had defeated many of his older peers—and brushed his bands that fell into his eyes so that he can study the other pale boy before him.

The boy was taller than him and most likely older as well but their similarity was almost uncanny. Pale skin, thin limbs and dark hair and eyes; they could have been siblings except for the fact Persius had never seen this boy among his siblings and there had been no news that there was any more children of Pluto coming to the Legion.

"Why do you care?" Persius responded grumpily, turning his attention back to the river—loathing and hatred brewing in his heart for an unknown reason as he gazed at the stream; he never knew why he felt that way—and to spite the water deity, threw his tin can into it, sticking his tongue out when the naiads gurgled unhappily. "Leave me alone. I don't like you."

The boy smiled gently, ignoring Persius' statement and closing the distance between them. "My name is Nicolae Diablo if you're wondering—"

"I'm not," Persius responded meanly though he had to admit that yes, he was curious of the other boy that looked so familiar to him even though they had never met before—and it wasn't because they looked alike. "I don't care what your name is." He said bluntly.

"—and, little boy," Nicolae continued as if the younger boy hadn't interrupted him. "don't litter in the river or you'll wake to find yourself in a middle of a swamp."

The naiads of the river gurgled in agreement; they smiled at Nicolae who smiled back before disappearing into the river bed.

"Why are you so nice to them?" Persius demanded.

"Why are you so mean to them?" Nicolae retorted. "They did nothing to offend you did they?"

"They just brings back bad memories," the son of Pluto murmured darkly. "I—I don't know why but... I kept dreaming of myself dying here by... a man's hands and he looked like you..." Persius trailed off, studying the older boy's tense posture.

Nicolae's bands conveniently fell into place, not allowing Persius to see what he felt. "I had the same dream too," the older boy admitted. "but its nothing unusual, all demigods have strange dreams—Lord Morpheus' trying to torture us I guess."

"Morpheus?" Persius echoed suspiciously. "You mean Somnia? You've met his Greek form?"

The question was innocent enough but Nicolae's head whipped to face him as if Persius had broken a taboo. The older boy stood up abruptly and turned sharply, seeming ready to leave. "I did a quest for him once," he said as he started towards the forests. "he wanted me to scoop water from the River Lethe for him, a favor for his father, he said."

There might be a snort at the end of the sentence but Persius wasn't too sure. He got up and walked the way Nicolae had went, only to find that the other boy had disappeared into thin air. He was stunned when he realized that power came from shadow-travelling.

"How...?"

"I'm a son of Hades," the older boy's voice answered from further down in the darkness of the forest. "Of the Greeks while you're obviously a Roman."

What Nicolar said sent the world spiralling into the first Greek-Roman War. What he said will, in the middle of the war, tore down everything the goddess Athena had stood for and make a mockery of her. What he said will send him and Persius into another familiar dance from a life so long ago that neither could remember it no matter how deep their bond ran through after the bath in the River Lethe.

What he said sparked Perseus' memory: of his death at Nicodemus' hand.

Anger and hatred and the need for vengeance blinded his love and passion.

**XXXXX**

**The Year He Remembered Him**

**XXXXX**

The meeting at the river wasn't Persius' and Nicolae's last meeting.

They meet again when they both had grown older, had seen death, had seen friends and family die on the battlefield in the long Greek-Roman War with the Greeks dominating and the Romans tearing down more and more of their already horrible relationship.

Nicolae remembered Persius—the small boy he met at the river, not the boy with the past life—as clear as day even though the latter had grown older and taller and stronger and bitter with hate. He couldn't recall why his heart seemed ready to burst with all the sadness overwhelming him every time he saw the boy by the river.

And the dreams just never stopped haunting him: Persius died because of the river and him.

"Persius," he breathed the name as if it was a blessing and a curse. He wasn't sure which term to associate the boy with; he brings joy to Nicolae and yet seemed to bring melancholy.

He took a step back, shifting his weight, ready to strike, ready to dance their more than familiar dance.

Each knew—as no one else in the world could know—how the other one moved. Each knew how the other's muscles flexed, slackened, tensed. Each knew the other at his very best, breathing hard, limbs trembling, every muscle moving and pulling, that unending and exhausting and intoxicating rhythm.

They knew how to respond to each other, how to move as one, how to compliment each other exactly. Perfectly.

They knew each other thoroughly, consummately, and intimately.

On the battlefield.

So why was it so much of a surprise when Persius once again fell by his hands? The look of recognition, resignation and bitterness in the son of Pluto's eyes made him remember when he'd first held the boy when his life was slipping out of him.

"Perseus..."

Persius/Perseus lifted his dark jewel eyes. "Son of Zeus," he finished barely above a whisper before his eyes that glinted like stars in the night dimmed, the words he wanted to say unable to part through his lips as his soul left him for another life (oh_please_please_wait_for_me_too—).

The son of Hades wrapped his arm around Perseus tighter and sobbed. He failed and succeeded yet again. He promised—made it his life goal regardless of which life—that he'd find Perseus, his love. He did find the son of Zeus again but he failed to... to what?

_To what_? Tell Perseus he loved him? Perseus'd be disgusted and most likely spit in his face and tell him to stay away from him. So what did he fail exactly? To not kill Perseus? Maybe. Nicolae didn't know the answer, he just felt that he'd fail something (oh_please_someone_tell_me_what_it_is_).

"I love you," Nicolae's voice cracked, thick with emotion. "But you knew that right? I hadn't been subtle at all."

**NxP**

"One more chance, their last dance..." a feminine voice said, determination in her voice as she clinched her fist, upset that the couple had to meet such an end after seeing Nicolae's death when a car, driven by a drunk driver, crashed into him—he died on impact.

"Yes," a male voice agreed. "they definitely deserves it—more so for the poor son of Hades."

"Perseus had never received much love in his life," another new male voice rang out. "You need to give him a chance—all he's ever known is war and carnage."

"Then why can Nicodemus feel such a thing as _love_?"

"He has his mother, Perseus didn't."

"Stop arguing, boys!"

"Yes, _mother_."

The goddess snapped her fingers. And below Olympus, was born a child with bright sea green eyes. Exactly twenty-four months later, a child with eyes of the night was born.

These generation's children shall be those that'd shape the future of Olympus.

"Remember your promise, Perseus."

**NxP**

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**A/N:** I know information has already been posted on my website—but that can easily be changed. I wanted to know whether you guys prefer to have this as a slash or one of them as a female. If it was the latter who should be the female?

Fem!Nico or Fem!Percy?


	3. Chapter 3

**Last Chance, Last Dance**

**Chapter Three: Last Life.**

* * *

_Those eyes—those eyes bore into mine and I feel as if I will drown in them. Eyes the color of the ocean, I hate them yet I love them. I don't get it, dreams of that boy and his hate-filled green eyes. Why is he looking at me like I am the one that caused him all his pain? I don't even know him._

_He stares up at me, his pale lips parting as he says: "Not for long."_

_And the icy cold water that surrounds me pull me down at the green-eyed boy's command. Drowning, I'm drowning. I choke and open my mouth to scream for help but—_

Nico di Angelo woke up screaming, writhing and terrified. She breathed deeply, panting, trying to catch her breath once more. Her body was drenched not only in sweat but icy cold water—the murky water, black as ink—_and it was impossible_.

_Its just a dream_, Nico told herself as she crawled out from her bed, careful to be silent so as to not wake her older sister up. Bianca would let her see hell if she was woken up from her beauty sleep for her stupid sister's nightmare. She tip-toed over to the grand closet the hotel suite had provided the di Angelo siblings with, and started rummaging for another pair of sleepwear. She shed her clothes and changed but when she went back to sleep, she noticed that her bed was wet; no way would she be able to sleep there.

Her fingers ghosted over the sheets, noticing that they were freezing—devoid of the warmth her body temperature had offer when she was asleep. She bit her lip, turning to where her older sister was sleeping peacefully.

_Definitely not having a bad dream of a hot-but-truly-dead-ghost-boy_, Nico noted bitterly. Both their beds were large enough to fit two person; Nico nudged her sister gently, trying to make the older girl to give the ten-year-old more space.

Bianca groaned and cracked her eyes open sleepily.

"What's it, Nic?" Bianca slurred sleepily.

"A bad dream," Nico murmured back, mildly surprise when her sister just grunted and wrapped her arms around her. When did her sister became this nice? Nico shrugged the thought off, but not her sister's arms around her, and snuggled closer to the warmth of the older.

**PxN**

Perseus "Percy" Jackson found himself not in his dorm-room but in a void. Percy did not panic, he remained calm and studied his space-less surrounding, wondering why he was here, again. Before his twelfth birthday, his dreams had never been this vivid or realistic—that's if floating in a void counted as vivid or realistic, but he surely felt like himself.

Then, as usual, the void took shape. Dark waters stretched out in the crystal cave. Percy tensed when the icy cold water ate at him but he did not flinch away, knowing that he cannot run for the waters were endless. Percy waited for the dream to show him anything or something else but finding nothing, he waded around, the waters did not deter him.

Percy's brow furrowed when the bank came into view. Of course he wasn't frowning that he'd found an exit, he was frowning because he saw her at the bank. Again. The dream was pointless as they were real—he always saw the same thing, same place and the only person he saw was the girl.

Milky white skin covered a pretty and young feature, wavy black hair that glittered when the crystals shone, her figure thin and pale and tall. But her eyes were always what caught Percy's attention: obsidian jewels that shone as if they each had a star in them, and the wistfulness in them. But this time, those oily eyes were different.

If possible, they seem to be brighter. He waded into her sight, she lifted her head, messy bangs parting allowing her to see him more clearly. His dream-self seemed to have something to say for the first time because his lips parted and his vocals of their own accord murmured: "Not for long."

The girl didn't answer but he thought he saw her lips pull up into a thin smile.

The smile fell when the icy waters lurched, rising rapidly and swallowing everything in its path. Percy stumbled and let out a startled yelp when a wave threw him off balance, back connecting soundly with the crystal walls. He let out a hiss of pain and _sunlight streamed and fell into his face_—

Say what?

"Percy Jackson!" a familiar voice snapped in a chiding tone. "If you don't wake up now, you'll be late for school."

Percy sighed loudly, squeezed his eyes shut when the face of his best friend came into view. He opened them again, wishing that his roommate wouldn't talk so loud. A part of him—or perhaps, the whole of him—craved for the girl in his dreams' silence, the companionship of a pale man that he could scarcely remember.

"I'm coming," the green-eyed boy groaned and stumbled out of bed, just to stop his friend from whining.

He shot Grover a bleary-eyed glare before disappearing into the bathroom with his towel, sorely in need of a bath because water always make him alert and wide awake.

**PxN**

"Nico," her sister's voice was muffled by the barriers separating them. "stop taking your own sweet time in there! You're pretty enough without makeup!"

Nico scowled at her older sister's accusation, staring back into her own reflection in the sink, unable to discern why it wasn't her own reflection in the mirror. Staring back at her with her eyes, hair and skin was a sad looking man albeit the handsome and somewhat familiar features. Familiar because Nico thought he could have been her father or an older and male version of her.

She sighed, shaking her head and exiting the shower, giving her sister the stink eye which Bianca returned before dressing. She pulled on her black sweater vest, purple tights and black combat boots, and was about to leave the room she shared with her sister for their holiday for the summer—that never seemed to end because Nico was sure they'd been there for what seemed to be years—when her sister screamed.

Nico jerked back from the bathroom mirror, knowing that the man reflection that she cast had been seen by her sister.

Playing dumb, she asked, "What's wrong, sis?"

Bianca'd placed a hand over her trembling heart and Nico smirked slightly at her sister's shyness and aversion to men. "No, it's nothing," she mumbled in reply. "I thought I saw a man..."

"Its just me and you, Bianca, me and you," Nico said to reassure herself than her sister. "Anyways, I'll be going to the arcade now. Find me there if you want something."

"Your Mythomagic collection's on the nightstand!"

"Thanks," Nico murmured as she slipped the pack of cards into her vest's pocket and silently made her way out of the room. As she got closer to the crowd, a waitress came her way, smiling and serving her a Lotus flower which she accepted with a smile.

The moment she swallowed the biscuit, she felt like a burden had lifted off her, the memories of last night and the boy with sea-green eyes slowly drifitng away.

Who was he to her anyway?

**PxN**

* * *

**A/N:** More like a filler chapter—things pick up next chapter though.


	4. Chapter 4

**Last Chance, Last Dance**

**Chapter Four: Never Going To Work Out.**

* * *

Nico trembled, cowering beside her older sister as she stared, horrified, at the boy before her. He was _him_, that guy from her dreams and from the stare of shock he shot her, he knew her too. At least in their dreams they did. Knowing that he was staring for too long, the green-eyed boy cleared his throat, brandishing his sword that had the two sisters catching their breath, before lowering it.

He scrutinized them in a way ta scientist might look at his newest lab experiment. "Are you two okay?" he asked in a surprisingly kind voice.

Neither sibling answered him. Nico's fists clenched, fighting the urge to scream for him to run away. It proved to be too late when she opened her mouth to warn him because a tail shot out from the shadows. If it wasn't for the boy's quick reflexes, he would've been a shish-kebab.

The boy rolled out of the way, and without turning to face them, yelled, "Run!"

The di Angelos didn't hesitate to obey. Scrambling to her feet, Bianca grasped Nico's hand and they both fled.

Running proved to be useless however, the boy was unable to defeat the monster—at least in the midst of her confusion Nico can be sure of one thing, and that was the monstrous thing currently forcing the sisters and the injured boy to move.

The manticore turned towards the sisters with a triumphant look in his eyes. "Two powerful half-bloods in one day, what a lucky catch for me," he laughed maliciously. He raised his hand, making Nico wonder what he was doing. But the answer was clear when a helicopter descended from the skies. Instead of landing, it hovered by the cliff and Nico screamed when hands shot out to grab her.

"No!" the boy yelled, struggling to his feet. "Grover! Thalia, Annabeth!"

As if waiting for their cue, three teens broke out from the forest surrounding the military school the di Angelos studied in and into the clearing. All Hades broke loose when the blonde girl raced towards them, ripping Bianca from a man's grip before turning to save her.

Nico reached her hand out towards her sister desperately, struggling against her captor's hold. "Sis—"

"Retreat!" Dr. Thorn yelled as he fended the other girl's assaults easily as if batting away flies. "One is better than nothing!"

Waves crashed against the cliff, the sea desperately trying to reach the sky. Straining, face pale and beaded with sweat, the boy seemed to be controlling the sea, commanding it to raise up and up. The helicopter however, was faster and with a quick jab, it took off just as silver arrows blossomed in the manticore's shoulder.

"Nico!" Bianca screamed, her voice lost in the howl of the monster.

**PxN**

The son of Poseidon yelled angrily, the seas responding to his anger and crashed against the cliff futilely. It wouldn't do anything to change the fact that he'd failed his mission and lost a friend in the process. Nico di Angelo was gone and so was his best friend Annabeth. And to add insult to the injury, Bianca di Angelo blamed it on him—she hated him now—and chose to join the Hunt, making his and his friends' trip all the way to here useless.

"Percy," the voice of his cousin, Thalia came from behind him and he turned to face her. "Stop trying to sink all of us."

The son of Poseidon sighed. "Sorry," he muttered. "Its just that I can't stand it...to lose something and gain nothing."

The daughter of Zeus sighed too. "I know," she said, shoulders slumping in defeat before straightening, eyes gleaming with determination. "but we'll save Annabeth and Bianca's sister."

Percy hoped Thalia was right; he wouldn't be able to shoulder it if either of the two died.

**PxN**

Nico blinked rapidly, trying to blink the tears of terror from her eyes; she wouldn't show weakness to the bad guys, she wouldn't. But she couldn't help the flinch when the blonde man approached. She glared at him, her glare was not as powerful as she would've liked it to be.

"Stay away from me," she snapped, inching backwards till her back hit the wall. Her eyes darted around wildly, trying to look for an exit but the blue-eyed man merely chuckled darkly, amused.

Nico glared harder, and before she knew it, her hand snapped forward, coming in contact with warm skin. The blonde man's head snapped to the side, his minions—monsters and some humans—snarling and stepping forward as if wanting to hit her. But he waved them off and, to her surprise, laughed. His laughter was dark and cold and lack humor. It shot a chill down her spine.

"You _are_ a powerful demigod," the man said, chuckles slowly dying. "and you have spunk."

"What are you talking about, you psycho? What demigod?" Nico hissed testily, nerves frayed. But a sinking cold feeling in her stomach told her what the term demigod was. Memories, unbidden, surfaced to the forefront of her mind: of man that looked like her and the boy she saw as her reflection, of the boy with different eyes—first electric blue and green, then dark onyx jewels and now the green seas. Of a woman that looked like Bianca smiling down at her, then of the same woman—_mother_—lying limp in the arms of the same pale unearthly man—_father_—and so many more odd happenings that Bianca hid from her, trying to convince her that she was seeing things when clearly she was not.

"I believe you know what is, Nico di Angelo," the blonde man sneered before waving his hand, beckoning to someone.

Nico glared venomously at the blonde man but curiosity made her study the girl that had emerged from the crowd. Pin straight black hair framed a pretty vaguely Asian face but ended at her shoulders. The girl had yellow-ish skin but not an unhealthy shade; it seemed natural on her before Nico realized that she was a Chinese girl and had the skin of one. It was her eyes that ruined her image of an Asian, they were a pretty shade of grey with speckles of white...as if it was snowing on a stormy day. Nico'd say she was about her age.

"Xiao Xue," the man said what was clearly the girl's name. "I'm placing this girl in your care. Show her the ropes and don't let her go."

And the bastard left just like that. The child's nostrils flared and icy cold wind hit Nico like s sledgehammer. She slid away from the girl, _Xue_ he said her name was, and eyed her warily. Snowy-grey eyes met her dark ones and narrowed icily.

"Let's go, girl." The Asian girl turned and walked off, obviously demanding Nico to follow.

"Why am I here?" Nico demanded once she caught up with Xue.

"You were recruited."

"What for?"

"The war."

"_War_?" Nico spluttered. "You're starting a war against the government? Why choose me? And what is this world? The monsters—did you create them from the labs?! I'd have you know that I don't want to be involve in this terrorist issues and—"

"Shut up, girl." Xue snapped; she looked icy but her temper was fiery. "I'll explain as we walk."

"My name's Nico," said girl mumbled miserably.

The snowy-eyed girl rolled her eyes. "And I don't know who you are just that you're hot-tempered—" Now the Asian girl looked downright murderous.

"Hot, Nico di Angelo?" Cold eyes narrowed dangerously as the hallway seemed to freeze with the cold girl's very breath. Nico yelped when the Chinese girl grasped her hands, they were cold like a corpse's hand—colder, possibly. "I'm the daughter of Khione, I'll have you know that I am cold." A cruel and cold smirk and she added: "Very cold."

Nico shuddered in agreement.

**PxN**

* * *

**A/N:** I got Xue from when I saw an actress that looked like a Chinese girl and doll-like features. What did you think of Xue? Should she be a rather significant character or a minor one?


	5. Chapter 5

**Last Chance, Last Dance**

**Chapter Five: Barrier.**

* * *

Nico felt as if her world was on the verge of collapsing she could barely keep her legs from giving out as well. She stared in disbelief at Xue's direction, hoping that the other girl will tell her every word that just fell from her lips were lies and that she was merely kidding around with the younger girl. But deep down, Nico knew better; Xue would never joke or lie, she was far too cold for that.

Which only left the cold horrifying truth: her sister was dead.

Nico's throat felt like it had been stuffed by sand but she managed to croak, "C-can you please, repeat that?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, so full of hope and eyes that begged the older girl to not say what she'd previously said and _oh Bianca just couldn't be dead_.

Xue's eyes softened in sympathy. "I'm sorry for your loss, I know how it feels like to lose a sister but..." she hesitated. "you'll get over it."

"You're lying!" Nico accused, unable to believe that her greatest fear, her nightmare had came true. The dreams that Morpheus implanted in her mind: Bianca's death from her own point of view then from the eyes of those that had been there with her and had done nothing to save her—they let her die, just for one goddess.

Out of all gods, Nico decided she hated Artemis most out of all. Seconded by her godly parent—and she had a terrible feeling she knew who it was—who hadn't even bothered to save her or her sister.

Xue's face was etched in a vague sadness, lost in memories that was from her mysterious past. "I'm not," she said solemnly before leveling Nico with a scrutinizing gaze. "I believe you know who your godly parent is now."

"How do you know—"

"You knew your sister's death before I told you," the Asian girl said, frowning. "Did you think we wouldn't have guessed, daughter of Hades?"

And Nico felt like screaming as the face of a pale man that looked so much like her she was terrified invaded her mind, the dreams he was sending her through Morpheus' embrace, the messages behind the scenes _come to me, daughter, don't listen to them, I never abandoned you and your sister_.

She wanted terribly to believe that her father loved her and had never abandoned her and Bianca. She'd hold on hope to his words, his dreams and messages he sent her. She'd been plotting how to escape the Titan army and its gruesome training despite having make a few friends there—relationships she'd never had other than her sister—just to return to her father and sister's side and maybe there were other family members of hers out there.

But Bianca's death was just proof he didn't care. And all Hades' ever said was lies wasn't it?

_Yes_, a cruel and old and sinister voice crooned in her mind, echoed in her head. _Yesyesyes, he lied to you, girl. Don't return to him, stay with me and serve me; I will rise and your sister will be by your side again once I win this war_.

The chilling voice was like a blanket over her but she murmured a _yes_ and the spell was broken. Xue staggered as if she'd been punched in the gut, but once the daughter of Khione managed to steady herself, she looked at Nico with a wild look in her eyes.

"Its him isn't it?" she demanded, her cold eyes darkening with fear.

Nico nodded, her eyes glossy.

The daughter of Khione watched as the younger girl stumbled away from her, mumbling and muttering under her breath, with a flicker of worry. Nico had been her constant companion for days only but she felt connected to her, like a bond of a friend and the concern she just felt. She squashed the feeling down ruthlessly, her mother's voice speaking in her mind, reminding her of who mother and daughter truly served.

Not Kronos, never will be the Titan Lord. She was just a spy and Nico would only get hurt if they got any closer to the term 'best friends'. The daughter of Khione left, taking away the icy temperature. But the daughter of Hades' skin never ceased freezing.

**PxN**

Percy still dreamed of _her_. Surely, the son of Poseidon did dream of the daughter of Hades. Never ceased to, in fact, ever since he met her for the first time outside Morpheus' embrace. He thought of her even more ever since the girl's older sister, Bianca died. He thought of Bianca too—because he had to admit that he'd a sorta crush on the fourteen-year-old until she joined the Hunt and the feeling disappeared—but not as much.

At least the two children of the Big Three had made peace before the older daughter of Hades died. He was glad that she'd finally released her hatred for him before she departed to see her father, to be united with Hades who was waiting and will forever wait for his favorite daughters to reach him. Percy's promise to Bianca constantly weighed heavily on his mind _save my sister, please_ because he'd seen the changes in Nico di Angelo.

She was no longer the cheerful and sweet kid that danced around in his dreams when he was younger. She was now a wraith with scowls and hateful looks that haunted his dreams after Bianca's death. What had caused her to change? Had she seen her sister's death, blamed it on the questers that were with the older girl?

_Yes_, Percy realized the answer was as Morpheus enlightened him in his sleep, allowing him to eavesdrop on a particular conversation between Luke and Nico when she volunteered to explore a place.

Yet, his yearning to see more and more of the wraith never really went away. The child of Hades was at the back of his mind day and night, every waking and sleeping second. Percy was slightly worried that she'd be forever trapped in his mind, never escaping even after death. This was true on the account of the man he also dreamed of—but not as much as he thought of Nico.

The man was familiar yet Percy was sure he'd never met him. Then again, Nico was the same case. He dreamt of her, believing her to be a figment of imagination until she came to life outside of his dreams. He dimly wondered, with amusement, had he dreamed her into life. He also wondered, will this beautifully tragic man come to life someday too, if he dreamed of him enough.

_The man and girl in our dreams are one and the same_, a voice murmured in Percy's head, jolting the green-eyed boy out of his reverie.

"Where are you?" the son of Poseidon demanded, his hand creeping to his pen which was his sword in Mist Form. "Show yourself!"

_Tsk_, the voice in him murmured in a utterly disgusted sound. _Foolish boy, how am I trapped in you? Better yet, why are we one and the same_?

He had to be going crazy, Percy concluded once he realized the voice in his mind was the same as his, albeit the voice sounded older and bone-weary. He couldn't possible be talking to himself...was this some trick Kronos was pulling? Had the Titan Lord gotten to his head already?

_I _am_ you_, the voice said again, malicious and cruel definitely didn't seem to care that he was hurting Percy. _You are I, we are one and the same. Just like that Nico girl and that man, one and the same. Look into a mirror, boy_.

_Shut up_, Percy told himself mentally as he stood up, rushing towards where he knew other campers dwelled in. He needed the reassurance he didn't look any different and definitely did not look crazy.

The voice didn't shut up. It crooned sadistically in his mind like Kronos did when he encountered the son of Poseidon. Percy fisted his hands in his hair and—his ADHD mind made him notice that he wasn't thinking of Nico for once which just made him think of her—imagined a barrier between himself and this wraith.

He never expected it to work, but it did. When he poked and proved mentally, the barrier was intact but he could make out the vague outline of a man that looked frighteningly like him behind the green thing, mouth rapidly forming words that the son of Poseidon reckoned was cusses.

The barrier saved him from the lunatic residing in him. But the barrier also cut off the connection he had with Nico.

The dreams stopped coming and he couldn't help but feel lonelier.

**PxN**

* * *

**A/N: **So, it wouldn't be completely Percy/Fem!Nico, okay? For you slash fans out there, there will be boy/boy. Completely male Nico and Percy scenes – nothing too graphic though since I'm not an expert and had no wish to embarrass myself by writing _those_.


End file.
